en) Call for solidarity with imprisoned comrades from Belarus - IAF-IFA*

It has been a long time since the last call for solidarity with the Belarusian anarchists
appeared. Today we have to admit that the new wave of solidarity is needed urgently to
help them out from the prison. That?s why we call you to participate in days of action in
solidarity with Belarusian political prisoners on 22nd-23rd of September (parliament
election day is 23rd). ---- The activists Ihar Alinevich, Mikalai Dziadok, Artsiom
Prakapenka, Pavel Syramolatau, Aliaksandr Frantskievich, Jauhen Vas?kovich that were
detained in autumn 2010 and winter 2011 and then sentenced to 3 to 8 years of prison in
May 2011 for a series of attacks on state and capital symbols are finishing their second
year in jail. During this time their comrades and relatives did their best to help them
feel comfortable in custody and set them free.

In October 2011 they were acknowledged political prisoners by right-watch organizations.
This fact gave them bigger chances to be freed as soon as possible, because at the moment
the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, faces pressure from the European Union
with the demands to set free all the political prisoners and decriminalize them. From
August 2011 he has already pardoned more than 30 of them, but none of our comrades was
granted freedom. Lukashenko said publicly, that he will pardon only those, who will write
the petition for pardon, thus admitting their guilt and asking him personally for mercy.
All the rest will remain in prison, he stated. In fact all imprisoned anarchists were many
times asked if they want to sign such petition. Five of them refused to do it.

Artsiom Prakapenka signed it under pressure but he is still in prison. Now there are 15
political prisoners left in Belarus, among them are 5 our comrades and 1 more, imprisoned
for the action of solidarity with them. All the prisoners are experiencing different kinds
of pressure from the administration of the prisons they are held in*, because Lukashenko
wants to be a winner in this situation and make it as if it is not the EU that forces him
to set free the political prisoners in fear of more political and economic sanctions, but
as if it is his good will to pardon them, again only if they ask for it. We strongly
oppose the fact that our comrades are now traded for benefits form the EU and condemn the
pressure that they experience*. We call everybody to protest against these tortures and
demand the immediate liberation of the political prisoners of Belarus, including anarchists.
We welcome solidarity actions of ANY kind starting from now on to accumulate amount of it
on days of solidarity, we also ask you to make solidarity actions at least once a month if
you find it possible even after the days of solidarity. We need constant pressure on the
regime and the EU politicians in this situation.
=====================================================
* The International of Anarchist Federations, August 2012.
http://i-f-a.org